Recoil type of gasoline engine starter



Jan. 30, 1968 v. R. KAUFMAN 3,366,099

RECOIL TYPE OF GASOLINE ENGINE STARTER Filed Oct. 12, 1966 INVENTOR'VERNON R. KW

ATTORNEY 3,366,099 Patented Jan. 30, 1968 3,366,099 RECOIL TYPE OFGASOLINE ENGINE STARTER Vernon R. Kaufman, Racine, Wis, assignor toJacobscn Manufacturing Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation of WisconsinFiled Oct. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 586,103 Claims. (Cl. 123-185) Thisinvention relates to a recoil type of gasoline engine starter.

Starters for gasoline engines are known in at least i several differentforms. These include the type where a rope is wrapped around a pulleyand is pulled off the pulley in the function of cranking the engine.Another type is where a spring is wound and then released for exertingits tension in the cranking of the engine. Still a third type is wherethe rope is used on the pulley. but it is not pulled off the pulleysince it is attached thereto, and a recoil spring is used for rewrappiugthe rope on the pulley after the engine has been cranked. It is thisthird ty e, namely the recoil type, to which this invention relates.

Still further, gasoline engines commonly include fan blades which aresometimes constructed integrally with the fly Wheel and magnetocomponent of the engine. Of course the fan blades are available forcooling the engine while the engine is running. The present inventionutilizes the fan blades in the process of cranking the engine, and italso arranges the starter parts adjacent the fan blades in a manner soas to avoid any impedenee of the how of cooling air to the engine.

Other primary objects of this invention include the provision of anengine starter which does not place any load on either the engine shaftbearing or the starter bearing. Further, the starter is arranged toprovide optimum leverage with regard to the engagement of the starterwith the engine so that. only a low torque is required for pulling therope in the cranking of the engine. Therefore, the starter is easilyoperated with only this minimum pull on the rope, but nevertheless theengine is rapidly rotated in the cranking operation. This particularfeature is accomplished at least in part by eliminating any radial loadson the engine and starter bearings by having the starter engage theengine only in a circular path with respect to the engine center line.

Still another important object of this invention is to provide an enginestarter which is arranged to utilize the existing fan blades of theengine for the cranking function, but which nevertheless does not hinderthe flow of cooling air to the engine. It is also noteworthy to mentionthat the engine silhouette is even more compact than those apparent onheretofore existing engines with recoil starters. This is accomplishedby having the starter disposed in a position immediately adjacent theengine fan blades with only a minimum of space required for the starterand by providing the air inlet opening immediately outside of thestarter itself.

Other objects and advantages include the provision of a recoil type ofengine starter which is inexpensive in its manufacture, easilymaintained, especially easy to operate, which is adaptable to existingengine designs, and is reliable and sturdy in its operation.

Other objects and advantages become apparent upon reading the followingdescription in light of the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an external view of a fragment of a starter made according tothis invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 andshowing the starter pawl in the engaged position with the engine fanblades.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the pawl area of the starter shown in FIG.2, and showing a fragment thereof, with pawl retracted.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIG. 3, andshowing the pawl in the retracted position in solid lines, and in theextended position in dot-dash lines.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an engine and starter housing 10 including radiallyextending ribs 11 which support a bearing 12. An engine crankshaft 13 isrotatably supported in the bearing 12, and the engine fan blades 14 aresuitably mounted on the engine shaft 13 to rotate therewith, all in thecommon and any well-known construction. Of course the fan blades 14rotate during the running of the engine to bring cooling air into theengine axially of the shaft 13, and the air enters the engine through ascreen 16 athxed to the engine housing 10 so the air can move along theaxis of the shaft 13 and generally in the dirce tien indicated by thearrows A. Thus the screen 16 has adequate openings 17 spaced throughoutthe areas intermediate the housing ribs 11 and for the entrance of airinto the housing 10 and on toward the engine cylinder (not shown). Thusit will be understood that the housing 19 has its external portiondesignated 18 defining an airinlet opening designated 19, and this isactually the area in which the screen 16 is disposed to cover theair-inlet opening 19.

The starter itself is shown to include a pulley 21 having a hub 22rotatably mounted on the bearing 12. The outer circumference orperiphery 23 of the pulley 21 provides the usual groove for receivingthe rope 24 which is coiled on the pulley 2]. FIG. 1 shows that theextending rope 24 has the usual handle 26 attached thereto for purposesof gripping and thus pulling on the rope 24 in the usual function ofrotating the pulley 21 to crank the engine by means of rotating theengine shaft 13.

FIG. 2 also shows that the pulley 21 has radially extcnrling ribs, suchas the ribs 27 shown extending between the pulley hub 22 and the outerportion or periphery 23. Thus with only three, for instance, radiallyextending ribs 27, the pulley is provided with openings 28, shown on theright in FIG. 2. These openings are therefore available for the passageof air along the path described, and more specifically shown by thearrows designated B. Thus the cooling air can of course how through thepulley 21 by virtue of the pulley being essentially open in the areadesignated 28, except for only three thin radially extending ribs 27,and FIG. 3 also shows the arrangement with the rib 27.

A recoil spring 29 is disposed in a housin" 31 centered on the shaft 13and bearing 12. Thus the recoil spring 29 would have one end anchored inthe opening 3;, in the pulley hub 22, and the other end of the spring 29is suitably attached to the spring housing 31 wh ch is turn is suitablyafiixed to the stationary bearing 12. Thus the usual pull of the rope 24will rotate the pulley 21 on the bearing 12, and this will wind thespring 29 as the housing 31 is stationary. Release of the pull on therope 24 will permit the recoil spring 29 to unwind and thereby rotatethe pulley 21 in the reverse di ection to again recoil the rope 24 ontothe pulley 21.

A pawl 32 is pivotally mounted on the pulley 21 to be pivotal betweenthe extended position shown in solid lines in FIG. 2 and in dot-dashlines in FIG. 5. and to the retracted position shown in solid lines inFIGS. 3,

4, and 5. Of course in the extended position of FIG. 2, the pawl end 33is extended to abut the fan blades 14. It will therefore now beunderstood that any rotation of the pulley 21 will likewise rotate theattached pawl 32 which, when extended as shown in FIG. 2, will translateits rotation to the fan blades 14 and thus to the engine shaft 13 tocrank the engine.

The pawl 32 has two trunnions 34 which are guided on surfaces 36 and 37on the pulley 21, as shown in HG. 5. Also, the pulley includes abutmentsurfaces 33 and 3% which engage the body 41 of the pawl 32, as when thepawl is in the extended position, as shown in dotdasl'i lines in F15. 5.This therefore provides the necessary connection between the pulley 21and the fan blades 14 when the engine is being cranlce To retain thepawl on the pulley 21, at least upwardly as shown in iG. l, and to alsopivot the pawl in the manner described a lever 42. is utilized. Thelever 42 is piloted and connected to the llXCd bearing or member 12 bythe lever portion designated 43 which surrounds the bearing or sleeve12. A snap-ring 44 is disposed adjacent the lever 43. and this of coursealso secures spring housing 31 and the pulley 21 on the sleeve 12. Thelever 43 has an arm 46 extending to the pawl 32, and an opening 47 inthe arm 46 receives the pawl body 41. The connection and relationsl'iipbetween the pulley 21 and the lever 42. is that they are thereforerelatively rotatably mounted with the lever 42 therefore being disposedbetween two stationary pieces 31 and 44. Therefore, upon initialrotation of the pulley 21 by means of initial pull on the rope 24, thepawl lever 42 will not rotate, and it will therefore e gge the movingpawl 32 and cause it to pivot from the ret acted soliddine position ofPH]. to the extended doadash line position. Of course furthcr rotationof the pulley 21 and corresponding movement or rotation oi the pawl 32along with the pulley 21, all will now cause the lever 42 to commencerotation and then rotate in unity with the pulley 21. Never theless. thejawl 32 remains extended and lherey engaged with the fan blades l-i forcranking the engine.

When the pull on the rope 2-1- is released to have the rope recoil onthe pulley 21. the spring 29 of course reverses the rotation of thepulley 21. This initial reverse rotation will again bring the pawl 32into contact with the lever 42 and thus again cause the pawl to pivot.Of course thi time the pivot is from the dot-dash line position of ETC 5to the solid-line position. It will also be noted and understood thatcontinued rotation of the ulley 21 will bring its abutment surface 48into contact with the lever 42 and thereby cause the lever 42 to rotatein unison with the rotation of the pulley 21 in the recoil action.

The pawl end 33 is shown to include an oblique or tapered surface 49 andan axially parallel surface 51- on the opposite side from the obliquesurface 49. Thus the surface 51 presents a perpendicular surface withrespect to the tips 52 of the fan blades 14, and thereby gives flu habutment between the surfaces 51 and 52, as dc-ired. Conversely, whenthe engine is running and the fan blades 14 are rotating faster than thestarting speed of rotation of the pulley 21, then the blades tips 52will abut the oblique surface 49 and cause the pawl 32 to pivot to itsretracted position and thereby be out of the may of the fan blades 14.as desired. This action of course entails the slight rotation of thelever 42 by means of the release on the rope 24 or the overrunning ofthe fan blades 14 and pivoting of the pawl 32 and the consequentdisplacement of the levcr42, as described.

It will therefore also be now understood that the pulley 21 is disposedwithin the plane of the housing air-inlet opening I) to produce andprovide for maximum air flow to the engine, and to have a minimum enginesilhouettc with only a slight axial distance required in the directionof the engine shaft 13 for the provision of the starter.

Further, the lever portion 43 surrounding the bearing 12 is of a springmaterial and is effective in an axial direction with respect to theshaft 13 so that it adequately bears against both the bearing 12upwardly in FIG. 2 and the snap-ring 44 downwardly in FIG. 2. Thistherefore creates the necessary frictional drag for the lost motionconnection between the pulley 21 and the lever 42 to assure the pivotalac ion of the pawl 32, as described. This simply entails a bend in thelever portion 42, and such may be along the central lines designated 53in FIG. 1.

The starter therefore does not require any separate pawl cup which isnot only expensive in manufacture, requires special pawls for engagementof the cup, locks the flow of incoming air, but is simply not needed inthis starter which is adaptable to conventional gasoline engines.Further, the starter does not operate with any radial force between thestarter and the engine parts, such as the usually provided pawl cup, andthereby a low pulling torque is all that is required for cranking theengine, and the engine and starter bearings are not radially loaded.This results in an 8 percent less friction loss, found according totests.

While a specific embodiment of this invention has been shown anddescribed, it should be obvious that certain changes could be made inthe embodiment and the invention should therefore be determined only bythe scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A recoil type of gasoline engine starter for use on an engine havingfan blades connected to the engine shaft for rotation therewith, thecombination comprising a pulley rotatabiy mounted for rotation relativeto said fan blades, a pawl pivotally mounted on said pulley to be bothpivotally retractable and pivot-ally extendable therefrom and beingextcndable into abutment with said fan blades to rotatably drive saidfan blades in starting said engine, a lever operatively connected tosaid pawl and being related thereto in a lost motion connection withrespect to the initial rotation of said pulley in both directions andbeing rotatable relative to said pulley for pivoting said pawl betweenthe extended and retracted positions and with said lever beingsubsequently rotatable with said pulley, a rope trained on said pulleyfor rotating the latter whereby initial rotation of said pulleypivotally extends said pawl and additional rotation engages said pawlwith said fan blades for cranking said engine, and a recoil springconnected to said pulley for rotating the latter in a direction torewind said rope onto said pulley after said rope is pulled for startingsaid engine whereby initial rewind rotation of said pulley pivotallyretracts said pawl from said fan blades.

2. The subject matter of claim 1, wherein said pulley has a stop on oneside of said pawl for limiting the pivot thereof in the extendedposition, and said pulley has a pocket for receiving said pawl in theretracted position.

3. The subject matter of claim 2, wherein said pawl has a first surfacedisposed parallel to the plane of said fan blades when said pawl ispivotally extended for abutmeat with said fan blades, and said pawl hasa second surface disposed on the side opposite said first surface andoblique to said plane of said fan blades for being brushed over by saidfan blades when said engine is running and said fan blades then overrunsaid pawl and pivotally retract the latter.

4. The subject matter of claim 1, wherein said pulley and said lever arerotatably journaled co-axially with said shaft, and including twostationary pieces in said starter flanking said lever which rotationallyslides between said pieces and under the influence of said pawl uponrotation of said pulley.

5. The subject matter of claim 4, wherein said lever is yieldingly urgedaxially between said pieces for sliding frictional contact therebetweenand thereby assuring the relative rotation between said lever and saidpulley.

6. The subject matter of claim 1, including a stationary housing forsaid recoil spring and with said lever being rotatably slidable on saidhousing for inducing the relathe rotation of said lever with respect tosaid pulley.

7. The subject matter of claim 1, including a housing surrounding saidstarter and having an air-inlet opening adjacent said pulley on the sidethereof opposite said fan blades, and said pulley having openingstheretbrough in the direction between said air-inlet opening and saidfan blades for axial flow of cooling air to said engine.

8. The subject matter of claim 7, wherein said pulley rotates in a planeadjacent the tips of said fan blades and said pulley is at least in partdisposed in the plane of said air-inlet opening for optimum flow ofcooling air to said engine.

9. The subject matter of claim 8, including a screen disposed in saidair-inlet opening.

10. The subject matter of claim 1, wherein said rope is located on theperiphery of said pulley and said pawl References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 2,942,599 6/1960 Irgens 123-485 3,127,884 4/l964 Rice 123-485WENDELL E. BURNS. Primary Examiner.

1. A RECOIL TYPE OF GASOLINE ENGINE STARTER FOR USE ON AN ENGINE HAVINGFAN BLADES CONNECTED TO THE ENGINE SHAFT FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, THECOMBINATION COMPRISING A PULLEY ROTATABLY MOUNTED FOR ROTATION RELATIVETO SAID FAN BLADES, A PAWL PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID PULLEY TO BE BOTHPIVOTALLY RETRACTABLE AND PIVOTALLY EXTENDABLE THEREFROM AND BEINGEXTENDABLE INTO ABUTMENT WITH SAID FAN BLADES TO ROTATABLY DRIVE SAIDFAN BLADES IN STARTING SAID ENGINE, A LEVER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TOSAID PAWL AND BEING RELATED THERETO IN A LOST MOTION CONNECTION WITHRESPECT TO THE INITIAL ROTATION OF SAID PULLEY FOR DIRECTIONS AND BEINGROTATABLE RELATIVE TO SAID PULLEY FOR PIVOTING SAID PAWL BETWEEN THEEXTENDED AND RETRACTED POSITIONS AND WITH SAID LEVER BEING SUBSEQUENTLYROTATABLE WITH SAID PULLEY, A ROPE TRAINED ON SAID PULLEY FOR ROTATINGTHE LATTER WHEREBY INITIAL ROTATION OF SAID PULLEY PIVOTALLY EXTENDSSAID PAWL AND ADDITIONAL ROTATION ENGAGES SAID PAWL WITH SAID FAN BLADESFOR CRANKING SAID ENGINE, AND A RECOIL SPRING CONNECTED TO SAID PULLEYFOR ROTATING THE LATTER IN A DIRECTION TO REWIND SAID ROPE ONTO SAIDPULLEY AFTER SAID ROPE IS PULLED FOR STARTING SAID ENGINE WHEREBYINITIAL REWIND ROTATION OF SAID PULLEY PIVOTALLY RETRACTS SAID PAWL FROMSAID FAN BLADES.